


The Burnout Job

by LylaRivers



Category: Leverage
Genre: Multi, OT3, Semi Established Relationship, Sensory Overload, autistic!parker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:00:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28800981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LylaRivers/pseuds/LylaRivers
Summary: “We don’t exactly live the most normal, neurodivergent friendly lives. Play-acting as a coach for our clients is just as much work as a grift, if not more.”After the Gimmie a K Street Job, Parker burns out. Hardison and Eliot adjust.
Relationships: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer
Comments: 24
Kudos: 118





	The Burnout Job

**Author's Note:**

> It is I, back on my bullshit! I binged this show in like a week and then took forever to write this because I have so many ideas for fic that I couldn’t narrow it down! As always, my view of neurodivergence can be colored by professional biases so.... if I’ve written something insensitive, say something in the comments.

##  _ Thief _

They all get home from Washington DC, and Parker’s immediate first reaction is to disappear. After the obligatory gloating, she’d stuck around to make sure all the cheerleaders had returned home safely. They may be teenage girls who can’t walk off a 10 foot fall or flip through lasers, but for a few weeks, they’d been  _ hers _ . 

Archie would say this is her getting soft. But he’s not here, only a voice in her head, so she does as she pleases. 

All this to be said, she’s exhausted from the effort of being  _ normal _ . She’d done her best around the girls, which on any other con would have been fine, except for the fact that as coach, she’d been with them  _ all the time _ , training, boosting morale after Marcie’s injury, and dealing with every overdramatic teenage meltdown. Plus, she’d had to sneak around and do her actual job, finding incriminating papers and wads of cash she hadn’t even gotten to keep. 

And  _ then _ she was stuck in a giant metal tube surrounded by people for  _ six hours _ as they flew back to Portland. There were perks to traveling with a hacker extraordinaire- Alec had gotten them first class seats, so there was at least a little room to spread out.  _ But,  _ Alec had also claimed the seat next to her, and dozed on her shoulder the whole ride. Eliot had taken the seat directly behind them, and Sophie and Nate were a row ahead and to the right. There were only two other passengers in first class, but the people-y-ness of all the bodies around her made her skin itch. 

And  _ then _ , she got back to the brewpub, and was officially stuck. Back in Boston, she would have just flipped out the window, and hightailed it to one of her warehouses- preferably the one with Bunny in it, but she could be flexible, depending on if she was being followed. Except... 

Except, Bunny was  _ here _ . And she didn’t have any warehouses with a bed in it. Because Alec was here too. 

Sophie and Nate had already left, to go do Sophie-and-Nate things, which probably meant sex, but at least they weren’t here. No one made her skin itchier than Nate in times like these, with his constant smell of the alcohol of the day, and his loud personality. Sophie could be good or bad. Years of grifting have taught her to control her presence in a room, which could be very helpful, or could make things infinitely worse, according to the day’s whim. 

Alec brushes her shoulder, startling her out of her reverie. “Hey, girl, Eliot’s cooking. You good?”

Fire races through her skin from that point of contact, setting every nerve aflame. “Yeah,” she stutters out, and makes a break for the bedroom. It’s hardly Alec’s fault- he didn't know, and she's always taken care to vanish before it gets this bad in the past. But suddenly she just… can’t anymore. 

Their bedroom is dark and quiet, which helps to soothe her nerves some. She tucks one of the throw blankets around her shoulders, hugging it close to her. It’s not quite  _ right _ , but it’s something. 

The door creaks open. Silently, Parker curses herself- of  _ course _ Alec was going to follow her. Alec positions himself at the foot of the bed, close but not quite touching. 

Even that’s almost too much. The heat from his skin threatens to set her afire again. 

“Parker. Can you tell me what’s going on?” Alec asks, keeping his voice soft. Like you’d talk to a wild animal ready to ravage you. In a way, Parker supposes, that’s as apt a description as any. 

Words sound like hell, right now. She manages to shake her head ‘no’, unable to force the words out. 

“Alright,” Alec says. He smiles, soft and sweet, just for her. “Can you answer some yes or no questions for me? Nodding and shaking your head is just fine.”

Parker nods. She thinks she can do that much. 

“Good. Is touch okay right now?” Parker shakes her head ‘no’ vehemently. Touch is the opposite of okay right now.

Alec nods, and puts his hands on the edge of the bed where she can see them, but not touching her. “Thanks for telling me. Do you want to be alone?”

Parker bites her lip, considering. She wants to just say yes, but now that Alec is here, turning that careful consideration on her, she kind of wants him to stay. Maybe. After thinking it through, though, she knows this will be over faster if she’s alone. She nods her head, once. 

“If you change your mind, you know where I am,” Alec says, apparently seeing the indecision writ large across her face. “Just a few more questions. Do you want a thicker blanket?”

That question garners some surprise. Alec’s noticed that she prefers thick, warm, heavy blankets? She nods.

“Alright, I’ll grab one in a minute, before I leave. Do you need us to be quiet, out in the main room?”

Parker shrugs. The rooms are pretty well sound-proofed, but ‘pretty well’ isn’t perfect.

Alec quirks the side of his lip in a half smile. “Well, how about we just don't blare loud music, and if you need a change, you can holler. Last question, babe. Do you want Bunny?”

Parker nods yes vigorously to this question. In her haze, she hadn’t been able to find the stuffed critter, and she had  _ not _ been looking forward to riding this out without Bunny. 

This time, the smile fully reaches Alec’s eyes, crinkling the corners of his eyes in a look that’s all for her. “Thanks for helping me out, baby. Gimme a sec, and I’ll be outta your hair.” He bustles around the room, and Parker squeezes her eyes shut. It won’t help the noise, but it’s at least one less sense screaming at her. Bunny’s soft fur is tucked into her arms, and one of her thick blankets is draped over the throw blanket. Throughout the process, Alec never touches her.

She’s asleep before the door closes. 

_ *** _

##  _ Hacker _

“Damnit, Hardison, what the hell is going on back there?” Eliot demands as soon as Alec closes the door to the bedroom. 

Alec puts a finger to his lips, even though Eliot had kept his voice low. “Not sure exactly what's going on, man,” he says. “She doesn’t look real great, though.” 

“Not… not great? What the hell does that mean?” Eliot asks. Despite the edge to his words, he keeps his voice hushed. “That could mean a lot of things for Parker.”

“Worn out,” Alec says. “She looks worn out. This job was a hard one for her, I think.” 

“Tell me about it,” Eliot grumbles, turning back to the stove.

Alec slides into one of the stools at the kitchen island. “Was that an actual invitation, or…”

Eliot grunts, and waves a hand, which Alec takes as permission. 

“I don’t think I‘ve ever seen that before. She jumped about a foot when I touched her arm, just now. Come to think of it, she’s been kind of distant on the plane ride back here.”

Eliot turns, fixing him with a stare. “This  _ is _ Parker we’re talking about.”

“Yeah, I know. Different even for Parker. In four years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look this burnt out after a job.”

Eliot stirs at the pot for a few moments. Alec takes it to mean that the conversation is over- their hitter isn’t the most openly emotive of guys. But after a few long minutes, Eliot turns back to him. “What does Parker normally do after a rough job?”

Alec thinks it through, then slams his head gently on the counter. “She goes off to one of her warehouses. Hides for a bit. It almost always happens after she has to grift or spend extended time with other people.  _ Damn _ I’m a fool.”

“I thought she had some warehouses here, too.”

“I think she does. But for once, the important stuff is here.”

Eliot gestures broadly with his spoon. “There you go. This isn’t abnormal, she’s just never let you see it before.” 

“Not sure if that makes it better or worse.” 

“Ask her about it later, in a few days, if it’s really bothering you.” 

Alec sighs. “I think I know what it is. I mean… I’ve seen the symptoms in someone else, and I can do basic math to put two and two together.” 

“Symptoms?”

“Look, we all know Parker is… different.” Eliot grunts in agreement. “One of my foster brothers was like that, too,” Alec explains.

“A cat burglar with a weakness for shiny things and the color green?”

“Autistic,” Alec says.”I don’t… I’m not trying to slap a label on Parker, but she shares a lot of common traits with this foster brother. Reid. He was a few years younger than me. Didn’t talk a ton, had a hard time being around other people, didn’t make eye contact, couldn't read a room to save his life, hyper focused on a single topic at a time. For a while he was really into the mechanics of bridges. Anyways. Sometimes, when he’d been involved in more activities than normal, he’d just...burn out. He got overly sensitive to noises, and lights, and sounds, and would just hide in the room he shared with this other kid with a blanket over his whole body. Normally, you’d have to shout to be heard in the din at Nana’s house, but during those times… G-d, we did our best to be quiet for the poor guy.”

“And Parker?” 

Alec gestures at the screens behind him, taking in their whole lives with the sweep of his hand. “We don’t exactly live the most normal, neurodivergent friendly lives,” he says. “Come on. Voices in Parker’s ear all the time? Grifting, reading people’s reactions on the fly? She just spent a week with a gaggle of teenage cheerleaders, who aren’t known for being quiet or reserved. She was basically grifting- not with the mark, but for her? Play-acting as a coach for our clients is just as much work, if not more.”

Eliot adjusts a few things on the stove. “Should I leave?”

“Why would you wanna do that?”

Eliot glares at him. Apparently they’re back to this well-worn argument; despite vocal indications to the contrary, Eliot still feels like the 3rd wheel, orbiting them on the outside and always looking in.

Alec goes for the low blow. “She’ll be more upset if she wakes up and you’re gone again.”

“Damnit Hardison.”

“There’s like three different couches and places to sleep in here that aren’t the main bed,” Alec says. “You know we’d rather have you around than not.” 

Alec can read the tension in the lines of the hitter’s back. It’s clear to anyone with eyes that Eliot hasn’t experienced someone wanting him to stick around in years, let alone two someones wanting him to stick around. Eliot shifts the pot off the hot burner.

“That was low, man.”

Alec slips off the stool and crowds into the hitter’s personal space. “Ain’t never said I was above that,” he says. “You done cooking?”

“Needs to cool down some.”

“Good. Come sit.” Alec tugs a reluctant Eliot to the couch. The hitter goes with a put-upon huff, but settles himself on the couch easily enough. 

“I don’t wanna be in the way.”

Alec cradles Eliot’s head in his hand, brushing this thumb across the other man’s cheek. “You and I both know that ain’t gonna happen. We’re better together.”

Eliot exhales, long and slow, tilting their heads together. “You ‘n Parker have a good thing going. I don’t wanna ruin that.”

“We have a good thing, sure. But it’s better with you.”

Abruptly, Eliot pulls his head back. Alec tries not to take offense. He knows that he’s a tactile guy, and the other two… aren’t. Neither Eliot or Parker had thus far had reason to think touch was anything but bad; Eliot due to his line of work, and Parker due to her isolating childhood. Alec  _ knows _ this, on an intellectual level. It’s why he’s been so careful and patient, luring these two in. That doesn’t stop the heart from wanting, and sometimes Alec selfishly wishes his two favorite people were a little more inclined to open displays of affection. 

“You hungry?” Eliot asks. 

Alec lets the moment pass. There will be more like it. “I could eat. Wha’dija make?”

“Three bean soup. We didn’t have a ton in the fridge after being gone for a week. I’m gonna go shopping tomorrow.”

“Sounds great.” Anything Eliot makes is likely to be heavenly. 

Eliot ladles out bowls, and they eat in silence. Maybe… just maybe… everything will be alright.

_ *** _

##  _ Hitter _

Hardison is curled up on his shoulder, fast asleep, when the door cracks open. The hacker had eaten and immediately crashed after spending hours pouring over obscure laws and sources of money to shift towards making cheerleading a sport. 

“Alec? Eliot?” Parker asks, voice little more than a whisper. 

“In here,” Eliot says, keeping his voice low. “There’s soup on the stove if you want some. I’m a bit stuck at the moment.”

Parker slips into the room, taking in the scene. Eliot tries not to fidget from the weight of her stare. “How long has he been out?” she asks. Eliot hears the unasked question loud and clear: how long was  _ she _ out for? 

“‘Bout an hour,” Eliot answers. “Fell asleep just as soon as I got some food in him.”

“Did he…” The thief trails off, seemingly unable to voice the question. 

“Say anything? Not really,” Eliot says, hearing the subtext. “I didn’t press, neither.”

Parker’s face twists. “I didn’t… I don’t…” she stutters out.

Eliot waits it out. Parker as a thief is confident; she takes what she wants, knows her skills, and doesn’t hesitate. Interpersonally, things are different. Sophie’s tutelage has given the thief a layer of confidence she didn’t have before, but reading people will likely never be Parker’s forte. 

“I’ve never let anyone see it this bad before,” Parker says finally, rewarding Eliot’s patience. 

“Ain’t nothing wrong with that,” Eliot says. “But you don’t need to worry that this is a deal breaker, neither. We knew what we were signing up for, both of us.” He offers her a small smile. 

“I… It’s better, to be alone.”

“Never said we  _ had _ to be there. But we ain’t abandoning you over a bit of overload, even if you’d rather be alone in the moment. And if alone isn’t better… well, you don’t have to be.”

Parker offers him a small smile in return. “That’s… good. That’s good, I think.”

“Good. You hungry, darling?”

“Yeah,” Parker murmurs. 

Eliot considers waking Hardison up. There are conversations they need to have; all three of them, together. On the other hand, woken-up Hardison is a grumpy Hardison, so there’s no guarantee that the conversation would even happen. 

Parker settles in on Eliot’s other side, bowl of soup in hand. She eats in silence, shoveling spoonfuls of food into her mouth with great focus. When the bowl is cleared, she deliberately meets his eyes. “Thank you,” she says, before ducking her head. 

The warm glow at her words is undeniable. As always, Eliot hears the subtext loud and clear; the thanks isn’t just for the food, but for everything else, as well. 

“Any time, darling.”

Parker curls herself into the fetal position on the couch, tucking her legs up to her chest. After a moment of apparent indecision, she pitches over, resting her head on Eliot’s shoulder. To all appearances, she seems to fall immediately asleep. 

Sleeping on the couch will be  _ murder _ on his back, but there’s nothing for it; he’s well and truly stuck now. Mentally, Eliot shrugs, and settles in for the time being. 

They’ll be alright. 


End file.
